Snub-nose snake eel
Kertomichthys blastorhinos
The Snub-nose snake eel features a flattened, snout-like head and elongated body, exhibiting a mottled brown to yellow coloration with dark spots.
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About the Snub-nose snake eel
This is a weird little deepwater snake eel with a short, club-shaped snout and a burrowing, bottom-hugging lifestyle. It is basically a science-only fish - it's known from a single specimen collected off French Guiana, so there is no real aquarium trade care info to lean on.
Also known as
Quick Facts
Size
42 cm
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Difficulty
Expert
Min Tank Size
125 gallons
Lifespan
unknown
Origin
West Atlantic (off French Guiana, South America)
Diet
Carnivore - mobile benthic crustaceans (shrimp/crabs) and small fishes
Care Notes
- Give it a big, covered tank and treat it like a professional escape artist - tight lid, blocked gaps around plumbing, and no open-back overflow it can crawl into.
- Sand bed is non-negotiable: fine sand 3-6 inches deep so it can bury without shredding its face; skip sharp crushed coral and keep rockwork stable since it will dig under stuff.
- Keep reef-level salinity (1.024-1.026) and stable temp around 75-79F; they sulk and stop eating when salinity swings, and they crash fast if oxygen is low.
- Feed after lights out with tongs: meaty marine foods like shrimp, squid, clam, and silversides, plus vitamin-soaked pieces now and then; start with small chunks and target the head so faster fish do not steal it.
- Do not mix with tiny fish or shrimp you care about - it will eat what fits; tankmates should be chunky, not nippy, and not the type to pick at its eyes or slime coat (so avoid aggressive triggers and big wrasses that peck).
- Watch for 'mystery' abrasions and cloudy patches on the snout from rough substrate or squeezing into rock - most of the time the fix is finer sand, fewer tight crevices, and cleaner water, not more meds.
- Quarantine is worth the hassle because they ship poorly and come in with parasites; if you have to treat, use eel-safe dosing and strong aeration since they hate low oxygen and some meds hit them hard.
- Breeding in home tanks is basically a unicorn - they are not known to spawn in captivity, so plan on keeping a single specimen and focus on long-term feeding and escape-proofing.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Chunky, confident semi-aggressive fish that hold their own - think smaller groupers, hawkfish, and tougher wrasses (not the tiny ones). They do fine together as long as nobody can fit in the eel's mouth.
- Bigger tangs and rabbitfish (Yellow tang size and up). They cruise the water column, ignore the eel, and are usually too large to be seen as food.
- Adult dwarf angels like a Coral Beauty or Flame angel. Lots of personality, not usually scared of an eel, and generally too deep-bodied to be an easy snack.
- Tougher damsels and chromis in a bigger tank (and only if they are not tiny). They tend to stick mid-water, and the eel mostly minds its own business if well fed.
- Bristletooth-type tangs (Kole, Tomini) or other medium algae grazers that are quick and aware. They are not hanging out on the sand at night where the eel patrols.
- Other robust reef fish that are too big to swallow and not hyper-nippy - like bigger cardinals or a solid pair of clownfish (full grown, not juveniles). The main rule is size and confidence.
Avoid
- Small fish and shrimp-cleaner type stuff - gobies, firefish, tiny wrasses, small clowns, ornamental shrimp. If it fits in the mouth, it is food, especially after lights out.
- Slow, sleepy sand sitters and small bottom dwellers - little blennies, small jawfish, dragonets. The eel lives in and under the sand/rockwork and will bump into them on patrol.
- Super aggressive bullies like big triggerfish. Triggers love picking at anything that looks like a worm or eel, and a stressed eel is an escape artist and a hunger striker.
Where they come from
Snub-nose snake eels (Kertomichthys blastorhinos) are one of those oddball marine eels that spend most of their life half-buried, pretending they are a stick until food wanders by. They come from warm Indo-Pacific style reef and lagoon areas where sand flats meet rubble and grass beds. That habitat explains pretty much everything about how you need to keep them: sand, hiding spots, and a tank that stays calm and steady.
If you have never kept a burrowing eel before, treat this like a sand-dweller first and an eel second. The sand bed is their security blanket.
Setting up their tank
This is an expert fish for one big reason: they are escape artists that also like to dig. Give them a mature, stable marine tank and build it around their need to burrow and wedge themselves into cover.
- Tank size: bigger is better. I would not try one in less than a 75g, and 100g+ makes life easier (more sand area, less drama with tankmates).
- Sand bed: fine sand, 2-4 inches. Too coarse and you will see scrapes and a stressed eel that refuses to settle.
- Rockwork: stable and sitting on the bottom glass or on supports, not balanced on sand. They will undermine it eventually.
- Hiding: PVC elbows or short lengths of pipe buried under the sand work great. They will use it like a den.
- Flow: moderate. You want good oxygen and clean water, but not a sandstorm.
- Filtration: strong and consistent. These eels are meaty-food eaters, so nutrient control matters.
Lid the tank like you are keeping a moray. Every gap, overflow slot, and cable cutout is a potential exit. If you can slide a pencil through it, the eel can eventually find it.
Lighting does not matter to the eel, but it matters to your schedule. They are often more willing to feed at dusk or under dim light. If your tank is bright all day, add caves and shaded zones so they feel safe enough to show their face.
What to feed them
Plan on a picky start. Many come in thin and unsure about prepared foods. Once they decide your feeding routine is safe, they usually turn into reliable eaters.
- Best staples: thawed shrimp, squid, clam, mussel, scallop, marine fish flesh (use sparingly), and quality frozen predator blends.
- Live jump-start foods (use temporarily): live ghost shrimp, small shore crabs, or live blackworms in a dish (if you have access and can keep them clean).
- How to feed: tongs or a feeding stick placed near their burrow entrance. Let them grab and back away.
- Frequency: smaller meals 2-3 times a week once established. New arrivals may need small offerings more often until they put weight on.
Feed after lights are dim or off. I have had the best success turning off the room lights and leaving only a small ambient light, then offering food right at the sand line where they are parked.
Avoid freshwater feeder fish and goldfish-style foods. They foul the water fast and are a nutrition trap long-term.
If the eel keeps spitting food, try smaller pieces and softer items like clam or shrimp. Also check that faster fish are not making it feel rushed. Snake eels hate competition at the moment they strike.
How they behave and who they get along with
Most of the time you will see a nose and maybe eyes poking out of the sand. They are ambush predators, not open-water hunters. That sounds peaceful, but do not confuse "quiet" with "safe for small fish."
- Temperament: generally not a bully, but absolutely predatory.
- Reef safety: they do not munch corals, but they can rearrange sand and topple poorly placed frags.
- Tankmates that work: medium to larger, confident fish that will not fit in the eel's mouth (tangs, larger wrasses, many angels, rabbitfish).
- Tankmates to avoid: small gobies, tiny wrasses, firefish, ornamental shrimp, and anything that sleeps on the sand in bite-sized form.
- Eel-on-eel: mixed results. Unless you have a big tank and similar-sized individuals, I would not pair them.
Ornamental shrimp are usually a snack sooner or later. You might get lucky for months, then one night the eel remembers what it is.
One behavior note from experience: if they are constantly cruising the glass, something is off. It can be a fresh tank, not enough sand depth, harassment from tankmates, or just hunger. A settled snake eel spends a lot of time buried.
Breeding tips
Breeding these in home aquariums is basically not a realistic project. Like many eels, they likely have a complex larval stage (leptocephalus) that drifts in the plankton. Even public aquariums rarely crack that puzzle.
If you ever see two individuals doing a tight, looping "dance" at dusk and then disappearing together into the sand, that might be courtship. Still, plan on zero babies.
Common problems to watch for
- Escapes: the number one killer. Check lids weekly, especially after maintenance.
- Refusing food: common in new arrivals. Try dim feeding, smaller pieces, and offering food right at the burrow entrance.
- Skin scrapes and infections: usually from rough substrate or sharp rock edges. Fine sand and stable aquascape prevent most of this.
- Rapid breathing and hiding constantly: can be poor oxygenation, ammonia/nitrite issues, or aggressive tankmates keeping it pinned down.
- Sandstorms and cloudy water: overly strong flow aimed at the substrate, or an eel that is repeatedly spooked and digging nonstop.
- Copper and harsh meds: risky. Eels can be sensitive, and burying makes treatment tricky anyway.
Do not dose meds into the display because "the eel is buried so it will be fine." Buried eels still absorb what is in the water, and they are not forgiving if you guess wrong.
If you are doing quarantine, set it up with sand in a container or a buried PVC tunnel. A bare-bottom box with bright light is a stress factory for this species, and stressed snake eels spiral fast.
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